Aftermath
by cupcakesintheimpala
Summary: AU. Following the events in the Inverted Tower, Warren deals with Vanessa's betrayal. Dale tries to help.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Fablehaven**

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Fic: Aftermath  
Summary: AU. After the events in the Inverted Tower, Warren deals with Vanessa 's betrayal. Dale tries to help.  
Genre: Angst/Hurt Comfort  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Mentioned past Warressa  
Spoilers: Rise of the Evening Star

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**Notes  
**Okay so basically after I reread the 'history reveal' in Keys to the Demon Prison I went back to Rise of the Evening Star, found where Warren came out of his catatonic state and read through to the end. I had many questions but I really wondered since Warren didn't attend Vanessa's imprisonment, how did he cope with her betrayal?

**Warning: contains some language**

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It was over and done with.

Vanessa had been imprisoned in the Quiet Box and the Sphinx had departed with the mystery prisoner that had been released from it.

"Warr, you coming back inside?"

Warren flinched and turned around where he stood on the porch to find Dale standing in the doorway.

"Maybe in a minute." He replied, plastering a small smile on his face. "Just...need a bit more time."

Dale gave his brother a knowing look. "She's in the Box. Been in for a couple of hours."

"That...That's great, D," Warren said softly.

"You okay?"

"Fine."

Dale sighed. "Warren, you know I know when you're lying."

"And you know that I know that _you_ can't keep a secret." Warren rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Telling a couple of kids we don't know about the Knights?"

"One of those kids saved your ass, you know. And anyway, don't change the subject," Dale replied seriously. "Talk to me." Instead Warren clammed right back up. "Warren —"

"I didn't think it'd hurt that much." Warren said after a few minutes, his voice cracking. "To see her again, I mean."

Dale's heart clenched painfully at his little brother's words. He remembered all too well when Vanessa had first broken Warren's heart, almost a year before entering he had entered the grove and faced the revenant.

Warren had been a mess, and had only told Dale that she had left the Knights, saying a relationship was impossible when he remained devoted to a cause she wasn't sure she could commit to anymore.

What Warren hadn't told Dale was that, knowing that Vanessa was eyeing the Society of the Evening Star as a possible other organization to join up with, he had begged her to stay. He had nearly gotten down on his damn knees and tried to convince her that the Society was no good and if she joined them...any chance they had was over.

"_Please...don't do this…"_

"_Warren —"_

"_They want to open the demon prison!" Warren exploded. "Surely you don't want that!"_

"_Well who the hell wants demons running the world? You know I don't want that!"_

"_Then what in God's name has you wanting to switch sides?!"_

_She didn't answer._

"_Look if you want to leave? Fine." He sighed. What he was about to tell Vanessa killed him inside, but he couldn't take her coming and going anymore. His heart couldn't take it. "I can't do this anymore. Go for it. You want to follow a corrupt, evil society? That's your call, I won't stop you...and I won't report you."_

_She frowned. "Why?" He was obligated to report her to their captain._

_Warren scoffed. "You shouldn't have to ask that. You know how I feel."_

_Vanessa's face softened. She certainly did._

"_Look, I'm not saying I'll join up with the Evening Star. I'm thinking about it."_

"_You do that...but while you're thinking about it? We probably should stop seeing each other."_

"_If you think that's best."_

_He inhaled sharply. "Yeah. Yeah, I think it is."_

"I'm sorry you had to find out the hard way." Dale said gently. "I can't imagine what it was like to learn she was working against us the way you did."

"The crazy thing is," Warren blinked back tears. He had turned away from the yard and toward Dale instead. "I almost thought she was lying. Kendra. I didn't want to believe it, but when Vanessa — when she showed up with that man...Vogel, I think Kendra called him, it was like I got caught in the chest with a sledgehammer."

Dale said nothing. He knew that, as painful as it was, Warren needed to get everything out.

"I-I just," Warren exhaled shakily, "I thought maybe I was worth more to her than some damn artifact, but I was wrong."

"If that were true, she would have let you die in the tower," Dale pointed out.

Warren merely nodded, remembering vaguely how she had tried to get him to give up the sword. Of course he could have been hallucinating at the time, but maybe he _had _seen a hint of fear in her eyes.

"I may not like her, and part of me may hate her for hurting you the way she did," Dale continued, "but in her own way, I think she's about as over you as you are her."

"Huh?" Warren frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

"She came to see you, you know."

"Seriously?" Warren found that hard to believe. Surely she wouldn't have bothered with him in his catatonic state if she was masterminding the takeover of the preserve.

Dale smiled grimly. He didn't like thinking back on that moment he'd first discovered his little brother's ex-girlfriend sneaking into the cabin to see him. He'd been very hard on her, but that was his role as big brother: to protect Warren...and given the current situation, he didn't regret anything he'd said that day.

"_I just wanted to see him."_

"_You could've come to see him months ago."_

"_I was busy, Dale."_

"_Bullshit."_

"_Don't let Ruth hear you talk that way," Vanessa smirked. "I'm sure your swear jar must be nearly full with a mouth like that."_

_"Don't change the subject."_

_"Wasn't trying to."_

_"Look, you leave the Knights, you leave Warren, and you expect me to just be okay with the fact that you've suddenly just waltzed back here? When you don't even know if he'd be okay having you here?"_

"_Dale —"_

"_Look, for some reason Stan trusts you — God knows why, but I let it slide. This?" Dale gestured to Vanessa and Warren. "This is crossing a line. Get out."_

_Vanessa glanced at Warren, and though the rest of her face was impassive, her eyes gave her away for just a moment, softening as she looked at him. She briefly touched his hand, stood, and left without a word._

"Huh." Warren said softly. "I thought I heard her at times, but...I couldn't make sense of it. Thought it was just in my head." His throat tightened, and he fought against the sob threatening to escape him. The knowledge that she'd come to see him both elated him and at the same time, it infuriated him.

She had wormed her way back into Fablehaven, had betrayed people he cared about — his _family_. Warren felt like his insides had been torn apart. He wanted to go rip the Quiet Box open and break her neck.

"_Goddammit!_" He screamed suddenly, turned away from Dale, and threw a punch at the back of the house, swearing even louder as his knuckles split and bled from the force of contact.

Warren stumbled back and collapsed on the floor, his body shaking as he started to cry. Dale was at his side in seconds, wrapping his arms around his brother's shoulders and pulling him into a firm embrace.

Warren clung to him, burying his face in his brother's chest as he cried. Dale did his best to comfort him, carding one hand through Warren's hair as the other rubbed his back in soothing circles.

"It hurts," Warren sobbed. "It _hurts…._"

"I know," Dale whispered, his eyes stinging as he tried to hold his own tears back. "I know. It's okay, Warr. It's gonna be okay. I'm here."

They stayed like that until Warren's sobs had quieted to an occasional sniffle. He pulled away from Dale, cradling his (most likely broken) hand to his chest.

Dale sighed and helped Warren up. "Let's go inside, get your hand looked at. Tanu should have a potion for it, yeah?"

Warren sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his uninjured hand. "Mkay." He mumbled. "Dale?" His voice rose a fraction, but it was hoarse from crying.

"Yeah?""

"Thanks."

Dale smiled. "Any time, little brother."

**End**

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**End Notes:**  
So yeah, I believe Warren only knew Vanessa was considering defecting to the Society, and not that she actually did it and yes, she totally visited him while he was catatonic. Oh and those flashbacks/headcanons are actually snippets of future one-shots for a Warrenessa history series I'm working on (I have an outline, list, and playlist and it is angsty AF and writing is pain but I'm having fun writing again so yay?).

Anyway, I hope y'all liked it. Reviews are welcome, constructive criticism accepted. No flames please!


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